Continuity mistake: When the Griswolds are driving to the tree farm, they are being harassed by the rednecks in the truck. Several shots of the front of the truck show only two passengers, but one view of the truck through its rear window shows three passengers. (00:04:17)
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the movie, the Griswold family makes marks in the snow when they arrive at the tree which Clark wants. A shot later, the marks are bigger even though they haven't moved. (00:08:05)
Continuity mistake: When Clark is outside hanging the lights, he staples the sleeve of his shirt, under his wrist, to the eaves of the house. In the next shot, as he is pulling, the shirt is stapled over his wrist. (00:21:50)
Suggested correction: The position looks the same if you consider hand movement. Look at the opening of the sleeve and the hand position for comparison. I don't think this is an error.
Continuity mistake: When Clarke is installing the Christmas lights, the rope on the ladder keeps appearing and disappearing. (00:23:00)
Continuity mistake: When Clark is holding the gutter, it bends and ice is thrown from inside of it. The problem is that you can't see any ice during the first shot when it bends, and also that the ice goes in the wrong direction. (00:24:25)
Continuity mistake: When Clark is outside, trying to get the lights to work, Ellen comes out the door, pulling a sweater around her shoulders. First it is on one shoulder, then both, then one, and at the end of the scene she has it on properly, with both arms in the sleeves. (00:36:10)
Continuity mistake: In an early shot of the outside of the house, the motorhome that Eddie and family show up in is parked in the driveway. The problem is, they don't appear until later in the film. (00:37:55)
Continuity mistake: When Todd, the snob neighbor, falls down the stairs, his wife Margot is not visible in the bedroom. (00:38:55)
Continuity mistake: When Clark finally opens the christmas lights, he has the wires in his hands. The shot later, when all the family comes, the wires are not there and his arms are wide open. (00:39:55)
Continuity mistake: After Eddie et al arrive at the Griswolds, "Snots" is introduced. When everyone else has gone into the house, Clark is left outside with the dog. A shot shows the dog at Clark's side, and if you look at Clark's sleeve, he's wearing a sweater, but actually has on a windbreaker. At the end of the movie, Clark's wearing the sweater. Apparently the shot was taken of him and the dog, and edited back into the film early on. (00:44:30)
Continuity mistake: When Clark and Eddie are standing next to the Christmas tree drinking eggnog, when Eddie walks over to the decoration and knocks it over, in one shot his glass is less than half full and in the next it is almost completely full and he takes a gulp. (00:45:55)
Continuity mistake: When Eddie and Clark are drinking eggnog, Eddie knocks down the decoration with propellers on it. When Eddie walks to the table with the nuts on it the camera shots cut from Eddie to Clark attempting to fix the decoration. In each shot that we go back to Clark, the number of propellers left on the decoration change even after Clark has given up fixing it. (00:45:55)
Continuity mistake: When Clark is sliding down the hill on the sled, several times you can see fins on the bottom to help whoever was riding it control the direction a little better. When Clark is rubbing the oil on the bottom of the sled before he starts it is completely flat on the bottom. (00:50:28)
Continuity mistake: When Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany arrive, the wreath on the front door is lit with Christmas lights. When the door opens from inside the home, there are no lights on the wreath....it is just plain green. (01:01:58)
Continuity mistake: When Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany have just arrived and Aunt Bethany says, "Oh dear, did I break wind?" Ellen helps Aunt Bethany fully remove her coat. Seconds later, within the same scene, Ellen is still helping Bethany off with her coat. (01:02:45)
Continuity mistake: When Uncle Lewis lights the cigar that sets the Christmas tree on fire, watch closely. It shows side shots of Clark eating his dinner, and you can see the tree in the living room. The camera cuts back to Lewis lighting his cigar, and then back to Clark at the exact same angle as before. The tree is gone. (01:11:10)
Continuity mistake: The blinds are ripped out of the neighbors' window frame when Clark "harvests" his replacement tree from outside. However, when Margot is outside telling Todd to "slug that creep in the face", you can see blinds are still in the window. (01:17:20 - 01:21:55)
Continuity mistake: When Clark is going crazy, he cuts the newel post. But it's still in place in the later scene, when the family has problems with the squirrel. (01:18:15 - 01:21:20)
Continuity mistake: When the squirrel jumps of the Christmas tree it lands on the floor, but in the next shot it is on the coffee table. (01:19:50)
Continuity mistake: When the squirrel is being chased by Eddie's dog, it passes through the broken door and then vanishes. (01:22:07)
